There are few living composers who can conjure the ineffable with such grace as Ludovico Einaudi. Returning once more to the hallowed stage of the Royal Albert Hall, Einaudi delivered a performance that transcended the ordinary, as usual.

This marked the third time I have witnessed Einaudi, each time hearing something new in the music. His signature blend of minimalism, emotion, and pauses of silence took us through a full spectrum of emotion: light and darkness, joy and pain, innocence and knowing.

Listening to him live transports me back to my childhood while also beyond, to the life that I have not yet lived. There is something in his melodies that takes you through the many poignant stages of your growth, if you listen closely enough and lose yourself in the music.

His solo piano medley was played as if improvised, and the classics ad-libbed with such intuition that I questioned whether it had been rehearsed at all, or if we were simply drifting along the same tide as his own wandering mood.

The soundscape he created, drawn from both new compositions and beloved classics, offered a sense of seasonal movement. The beauty of the classics, and a dive into his new release, The Summer Portraits – which he shared with the audience – was written while being away from the summer and renting a beautiful house with his family.

His supporting percussionists and nine-strong orchestra found new life in the concert hall, their presence suddenly vivid, giving unexpected prominence to elements that had previously whispered. It is this shifting dominance that makes hearing Einaudi live an utterly unique experience every single time.

Donning his trademark trilby, he graced the stage like a welcome visitor in the sold-out Royal Albert Hall and departed with the same gentle reverence; a ’til next time to all of us.

Words by Simran Samra 

Photography Andy Paradise